1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an adjustable headband for a baseball helmet wherein the adjustment may be made by the wearer while the helmet is worn.
Baseball players and others engaged in similar endeavors have been injured in the past when pitched or batted balls come into violent contact with the head of the player. Attempts have been made to protect the players by providing protective helmets. These helmets have headbands which are either custom made to fit individual heads or are adjusted by a trial and error method, often without the greatest accuracy since such adjustment has to be made while the helmet is not worn.
2. Description of Related Prior Art
Safety helmets for baseball players and others who may have a need for such protection are well known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 2,218,947 issued Oct. 22, 1940 to Victor Brunzell discloses a safety cap for ball players comprising a head band of fixed circumference which is not adjustable. U.S. Pat. No. 2,420,937 issued May 20, 1947 to John F. Dauster discloses protective headgear having a headband which can be adjusted only by restapling the ends of the headband on a trial and error basis. The adjustment disclosed by Dauster cannot be achieved while the protective headgear is being worn. U.S. Pat. No. 2,739,310 issued Mar. 27, 1956 to Leonard P. Frieder and Walter S. Finken discloses safety headgear structure including a headband arrangement which may be adjusted while the headgear is worn by means of an externally accessible thumb wheel which can rotate right and left-hand threaded shafts to cause translation of internally threaded lugs attached to the respective ends of the headband. The adjustment is limited to the length of the respective threaded shafts. U.S. Pat. No. 3,241,154 issued Mar. 22, 1966 to Jackson A. Aileo discloses safety helmets having headbands which are made adjustable through a variety of ways including Velcro type fasteners and adjustable buckle arrangements. Each of the adjustments however are by way of trial and error while the helmets are not being worn. U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,023 issued Nov. 30, 1976 to Jackson A. Aileo and Leonard P. Frieder, Jr. discloses a simplified protective helmet assembly with a headband being formed by means of a plurality of independent pads being placed inside the helmet at different heights by Velcro-like fasteners, the variance in height providing the adjustment of the headband assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,642 issued Jul. 4, 1989 to Richard A. Brower discloses a combat vehicle crewman helmet which discloses a plurality of adjustable straps and a drawstring arrangement provided for the purpose of securing protective material to a user's head.